I don’t normally make graveyard posts, but I feel like Anahkra was a special case. Now that he's officially gone, here we are.

His super basic background, because I always sucked at writing backgrounds:

Awake.

Anahkra laid there struggling against the overwhelming sensations, against his own perceptions. A constant internal ticking that battered his senses. Beyond that he grimaced as memories flowed from a place he could not reach or understand. For an unknowable length of time Anahkra remained there, taking measure of his form and the chamber where he found himself. He slowly gained command of this body, as he did he felt somewhat familiar with it. And yet, the pulsing light that poured from his chest was definitely not familiar.

The chamber of his making was unusual by any standards. The large rectangular expanse afforded him room to move around without feeling confined, although counters lined the walls and tables occupied the space between them. The laboratory equipment and extensive collection of books marked this space as an alchemist's, though none were present. In fact, Anahkra could not imagine how one might ever have been, as there was no way out. Air flowed through cracks in the walls, and a small spring ran down one into a bowl carved into one of the counters, overflowing and disappearing back into the stone.

Over the next few months, Anahkra did the only thing that made sense to him, the only thing he could. Anahkra absorbed every piece of information available. He learned the basics of alchemy, that in order to gain, something of equal or greater value must be sacrificed. He learned how masters of the craft could animate the inanimate, though not nearly to the degree that he knew he was. For all the information laid out before him, nothing explained him. More information would be required.

Outside.

Anahkra first arrived in the city of Var Bandor, as he had understood there to be an Alchemist's Guild and in typical fashion, he isolated himself as much as one could manage. The guild itself seemed mostly for show. Perhaps training for the amateurs with aspirations of peddling simple mixtures. The "master" of this guild offered little Anahkra did not already know, or cared to learn. But for the sake of secrets promised to those that attained higher standings, Anahkra endured.

And his description:

You set your gaze on a cadaverous form that most resembles a shuddeni. His pale flesh draped over his emaciated frame, every wrinkle standing in sharp contrast like cracks through a stone. Ash colored sockets add nothing to his inscrutable countenance, making this creature difficult to read. High cheek bones and a snub nose are set above thin lips. At the base of his neck a small, round {Dmetal plate{x seems somehow affixed to his skin. Skeletal limbs extend into finely-boned hands, with long fingers stained brown by some unknown substance. He carries an assortment of satchels and pouches about his person, and several vials dangle from his waist. His posture suggests exhaustion, as if strained well beyond his limits.

ex desc: metal plate: Looking closer you notice ancient script is engraved along it's edges and glass is set within its center. As you continue to examine the plate, an azure glow begins to gradually build from behind the glass before shifting to a dark violet and slowly fading back to darkness.

When I created Anahkra, I had just returned to Avendar from a pretty lengthy Hiatus. I had played an alchemist prior and never managed to get anywhere with the character and I wanted to try again seeing that the staff had grown and the old staff seemed more active. I rolled through options and accepted the character. I expected the same solo grind as before, sitting in my lab during my weird hours and experimenting with the mechanics of alchemy. But to my surprise I was immediately greeted by other characters that would remain staples throughout Anahkra’s play.

I consider myself lucky to have had consistent players to interact with for several months before people started disappearing. Firstly, I’d like to thank them.

Sueisha Athein – Sueisha and Anahkra literally started interacting and developing their relationship minutes after Anahkra’s creation. Sueisha was without a doubt the largest influence on Anahkra throughout his 8 months of play. He resisted her attempts to “enlighten” him for so long, but ultimately saw his path and that joining shunned was the best and only option that made sense. Interacting with Sue was pretty inspiring to be a part of, and I often found myself struggling to keep up and wanting to improve. I feel like everyone that interacted with her was made better for it. I really appreciate the effort she seemed to always put in and pushed people to make as well.

Yisharja Yiyuz – Anahkra eventually became incredibly powerful and enabled our group to do some pretty wild things without the help of an actual healer. Almost none of it would have been possible without Yisharja’s steady and considerable help to develop all the right recipes and gather materials. Likewise, Yisharja kept Anahkra going as his most steady traveling companion and probably interacted with him the most.

Nenellathys – In addition to the considerable help and funds that Nenellathys provided along side Yisharja, Nenellathys seemed to be a fresh take on thieves and I enjoyed my interactions with her. Her mannerisms and speech stand out when I think back and I was relieved to see no hissing. Additionally, Anahkra was legit terrified of being on the wrong side of her. She was nuts to see in action.

Eonqa Niopfiq – Eonqa was always a dedicated and steady part of the team, but remained a mystery from the time that Anahkra first invited her to the graveyard he was so fond of and struggled to pry out what she was all about, til his last encounter in the halls where she seemed to know Anahkra would never return.

Rkal Krolt – My PC guild guard. Never mind that you were my guard because you always killed mine just to see what I was working on at the time. Rkal carried Anahkra to hero, and through a lot things that would have probably been a nightmare if not for her. Anahkra never really understood the blind aggression that Rkal often had, especially early in his life, but Anahkra always respected and had a healthy fear of Rkal. I still feel like I would have won a fight if we ever had cause, haha.

Olyeasa Isurnucal – Anahkra was a well established character when he first met a young, neutral Olyeasa. Her Alil vibes were pretty refreshing at the time, when almost everyone was a zealot in some way or another. He felt a kinship with her in that she was unafraid to try to new things, excited even to experience the new. I was a little bummed to see that she eventually turned towards the light, and her eventual betrayal was a contributing factor in Anahkra fully embracing his evil nature.

Sarendil Vycerin – Oh Sarendil. What a strange relationship from the start. I remember the shock when Sarendil inquired about the price of potions to allow him to breathe underwater. I remember Sarendil standing his ground when given the choice of surrendering a trinket or Anahkra’s wrath. And I remember when Sarendil finally decided Anahkra was a threat to innocence. The turn with Olyeasa really cemented Anahkra’s darker nature and pushed him towards shunned. And I just want to say, it’s really amazing how you stuck with character with the constant, overwhelming attacks and even turned the tide a time or two. With the exception of the ridiculous display of bullshit that was Anahkra’s last death, I think you were the only person to ever manage to kill him. So kudos on everything and thanks for always keeping the other team alive, would have been more boring for everyone if you hadn’t.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some key players in Anahkra's development and I'm sorry if you were one of them.

And then there’s the immortal staff. Anahkra got a lot of love from the staff, from alchemy students excited to see the clockwork alchemist in person to covetous clockwork golems. Every interaction, no matter how small, refreshed my interest in what I was doing with Anahkra. I feel like that’s really important when so many characters reach hero and just slowly fade away.

Although I really appreciated all the attention I got from staff, I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed my interactions with Yirhendril specifically. Akklanja gave me the name and I was hooked, the search alone kept me going for a good month. Just when I was starting to get frustrated at failure, the weird bastard found me. Every interaction was a mixture of fear, wonder and excitement. Yirhendril is without a doubt my favorite NPC in the game and I hope one day he gets a place somewhere for all to see and enjoy.

Last edited by Azurik on Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.